For baseball’s best home team, the matchup with last-place Houston seemed to be a prime opportunity to extend a seven-game winning streak at home with a pitcher who had performed well in Anaheim.

But instead of another solid performance at home, Wilson scuffled. The lefty lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits, including a season-high three home runs. He escaped with a no decision when second baseman Howie Kendrick’s double in the seventh inning tied the game and center fielder Mike Trout’s home run won it in the ninth.

Through the first three innings, Wilson appeared to be in control. The lone hiccup came in the second when Houston took a 1-0 lead on designated hitter Chris Carter’s solo home run. The next inning, Wilson struck out two looking in a 1-2-3 inning.

Disaster struck in the fourth, though. Wilson allowed hits to the first five batters of the inning. Thanks to a two-run home run by center fielder George Springer and a three-run shot by first baseman Jon Singleton, all five of those Astros scored, and Houston had a 6-3 lead.

Albert Pujols gets a night off from the field on Friday, but Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said it is simply a day of rest.

C.J. Cron takes Pujols' place at first base as Pujols plays designated hitter for the 22nd time this season. It comes a day after Scioscia reiterated that Pujols is a first baseman first and foremost.

"A lot of it, I’m going to say 99.9 percent of it, has been preventative," Scioscia said yesterday of the times Pujols has been DH. "Just the one time, his groin, we DH’d because he could swing and we didn’t want to stress him. As far as the knee and trying to do it, it’s been preventative. We’ve been able to stay a step ahead."

Pujols splits this season show he has been a more dangerous hitter when not in the field. He is hitting .305 with seven home runs in 82 at-bats as a designated hitter, compared to a .232 clip and 10 home runs in 249 at-bats while playing first base.

"He’s our best first baseman by far," Scioscia said. "You want him out there as much as you can and I think when he’s swinging, he’s been hitting as well as anyone."

Yet, save for a clunker last time out at Kansas City, the 27-year-old rookie has looked every bit the part of a quality major-league starter.

Shoemaker set an Angels record with 57 strikeouts in his first 10 career starts, twirling seven of them over six strong innings Thursday as the Angels began a four-game series versus the Houston Astros with a 5-2 win. He gave up seven hits, but struck out hitters in every inning but one, stranding four runners in scoring position and improving to 6-2.

With 17 of their next 21 games at home, the Angels (48-36) enter a crucial stretch to gain ground on the AL West-leading Oakland A’s. With offensive support from a four-run Angels fourth inning, Shoemaker got the seven-game homestand started the way the Angels needed.

The Astros (36-51) placed runners on the corners with one out in the first inning, but Shoemaker struck out Jon Singleton and picked off George Springer at first base. He came up with back-to-back strikeouts to end the second inning after a one-out Chris Carter double.

The Angels return home on Thursday from their six-game road trip a different team as they open a four-game series with the Houston Astros.

The obvious changes are in the bullpen, where the Angels acquired relievers Jason Grilli and Rich Hill and dealt former closer Ernesto Frieri in the last week.

But a couple important pieces in the Angels lineup also hope to have turned a corner during the Angels' 3-3 trip to Kansas City and Chicago. Josh Hamilton homered twice in Chicago after going 23 games without one and David Freese hit his first home run since April 27 on Wednesday, part of a 7-for-17 road trip.

"I think as the season goes on, this club is going to get better," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think we’re starting to see signs of that and we need it."

Hill gives the Angels a lefthanded reliever, something they lacked in the first half of the season when Nick Maronde was ineffective and Sean Burnett landed back on the disabled list.

ANAHEIM — Angels manager Mike Scioscia assured Thursday morning that, despite being 10 games above-.500 for the first time this season, his team isn’t exactly a “finished product” yet.

But after an early barrage of offense and a solid outing from Jered Weaver shut down the Minnesota Twins, 6-4, on Thursday, the Angels, with their longest winning streak of the season in tow, sure look like they’re getting closer.

The Angels’ sixth-straight victory gave them back-to-back sweeps for the first time this season and also helped bolster their standing as the best home team in baseball. They now boast a 26-14 record at Angels Stadium this season.

The top of the lineup carried the water early in Thursday’s matinee. Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout, and Albert Pujols contributed seven of the Angels’ 14 hits, while the latter two combined for four RBI.

Most of that damage came in the first three innings, with Pujols knocking in the first run in his first at-bat, and then scoring himself after Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon lost an Erick Aybar pop-fly in the sun. Two innings later, Pujols picked up his second RBI with a double that scored Trout.

ANAHEIM -- After making his long-awaited return to the Angels lineup on June 3, following a nearly two-month stint on the disabled list, Angels slugger Josh Hamilton only had to wait eight innings to boldly announce his return to the lineup, slamming a two-run homer into the bleachers in right field.

Since then, though, the Angels power-hitting left fielder has yet to have an encore.

Hamilton, who hit 121 home runs from 2010 to 2013, hasn't hit a homer since that June game against the Astros. That's a span of 19 homer-less games, just one game short of his longest homer drought from last season and only four games short of the longest homer drought of his career. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, 2009, Hamilton went 23 games without a homer as a Texas Ranger.

It's not ideal, but Hamilton's lack of pop hasn't hampered the Angels lineup much over that stretch. The team is 13-7 since Hamilton's last long ball.

The drought hasn't really affected the rest of Hamilton's game, either. Since his return, he's hitting a solid .280 with 11 RBI.

Angels pitcher Jered Weaver appeared with his brother, former big leaguer Jeff Weaver, on a new Ustream show hosted by former major leaguers Robert Fick and Dmitri Young. In their first show, which aired on Tuesday, Fick broached the topic of gays in the majors. (The discussion begins about the 17:00-minute mark.)

While Fick said at his first didn't want to have a gay teammate -- "It would be uncomfortable for me" -- both Weaver brothers were supportive.

Said Jered: "If you're hitting .300 with 40 and 140, bring 'em on, you know? I think it would just be a shock at first, but it's still your teammate in the long run. They worked just as hard as us to get up to where we're at."

The conversation was sparked by former Angel Torii Hunter's comments to the Los Angeles Times last month. Hunter, who said later the comments were taken out of context, said "For me, as a Christian … I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it's not right. It will be difficult and uncomfortable."

Bill Hall, 33, a veteran of parts of 11 major league seasons with six teams, agreed to a minor league deal with the Angels. Hall will be in big league camp and he'll have a chance to compete with Andrew Romine, Brenden Harris and Luis Rodriguez for the backup infield job that was vacated by Maicer Izturis.

Hall spent most of 2012 playing with the Baltimore Orioles' Triple-A affiliate, hitting .246 in 90 games.

Hall's best years were with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2005 to 2008. In 2006 he hit .270 with 35 homers and 85 RBI.

The Angels have hired 11-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel as a roving minor league infield instructor, the first step in the post-playing career for the potential Hall of Fame shortstop.

Vizquel will be in major league camp next month. He'll switch over to minor league camp when it opens in March. Vizquel has said in recent years his goal is to eventually become a big league manager.

"I think it's a great move for us," Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said. "It's a tremendous presence. What our infielders, both young and old, can learn from him is incalculable. It's tremendous what he brings to the to the table. I think it's the start of the next career for Omar Vizquel."

Vizquel, 45, played last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .235 in 60 games. It was his 24th major league season, including 11 with the Cleveland Indians.

He is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history. Vizquel hit .272 in his career, with 2,877 hits. He will be eligible to first appear on a Hall of Fame ballot in December 2017.